Skilled Worker Visa Extension 2025 – Ultimate Guide

Here’s the deal. A Skilled Worker visa can be extended, and people do it all the time. There’s no cap on how many times you renew it. You just keep meeting the rules and carry on. Simple in theory. Stressful in practice. I’ve watched clients panic over timing, and that’s usually where things go sideways.

You must apply before your current visa runs out. Not a day later. The Home Office doesn’t joke about deadlines. Miss it and you step straight into overstayer territory. That creates refusals, long bans, employer headaches, and a mess that follows you into future ILR checks. The gov.uk page shows the current window for submitting the form, so I always tell people to check it the moment their calendar flips to renewal season.

Thing is, the 2025 landscape feels different. Salary rules jumped in April 2024. Your own threshold links back to the date your first CoS came through. Medium-skilled jobs also face tighter rules from 22 July 2025. And yes, the UK keeps shifting everyone from BRP cards to digital eVisas, which creates its own confusion behind the scenes.

Let me break it down. We’ll walk through eligibility, salary levels, the step-by-step application, fees, timing, dependants, settlement routes, and the questions people bring up every week.

1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

You’ve got six rules to hit before an extension even makes sense. Let me run through them the way I do with clients in the office.

1. You need the same job you had when you first got permission to enter or stay.
2. You need the same employer who issued your current CoS.
3. You need a new CoS for the extension.
4. Your role must sit in the same occupation code as before.
5. Your pay has to meet the correct salary threshold for that code.
6. And you still need English at B1, unless you have proved it already.

Now, that “same job” point trips people up every season. The Home Office doesn’t freeze your daily tasks in time. Small shifts are fine. Maybe your manager gave you extra reporting duties. Maybe they cut some admin tasks. No problem. The trouble starts when the role turns into something fundamentally different. If the occupation code changes, the extension route closes, and you start again under a fresh application. Clients get annoyed at this, but that’s the rule, and it’s strict.

If you came in on a Tier 2 General visa, you can extend under Skilled Worker rules. They check everything against the current Skilled Worker system. I’ve seen older CoS holders save money through transitional salary rules, especially when their original CoS landed before 24 November 2016.

Here’s the deal with older paperwork. If your first CoS arrived before 4 April 2024, your pay may follow the lower rates tied to that original issue date. It doesn’t matter that you’re applying in 2025. Your salary rules anchor to the start. We unpack the numbers in Section 2.

If your CoS came on or after 24 November 2016 and you extend before 1 December 2026, your salary can include things like London weighting. The catch is simple. Those allowances must be guaranteed for the whole period you want to stay.

Medium skilled roles come with a sharp cut-off. You can only extend if your first CoS arrived before 22 July 2025 and you’ve held Skilled Worker permission without any gaps.

A few situations kill an extension instantly. Changing employers. Taking on a job that shifts you to a new occupation code. Letting your visa expire while you wait. Or dropping below the salary requirement. Any one of those shuts the door.

2. SALARY THRESHOLDS 2025

Salary rules feel messy until you link them to one thing. Your first certificate of sponsorship. That date drives everything. Then you match your job type and check if your role sits on the Immigration Salary List.

Clients get confused here, especially after the April 2024 jump, but the pattern stays the same. New applicants face the £38,700 level. Older CoS holders may follow lower figures when they extend.

Here’s the snapshot of current ranges for 2024 to 2025:

Category	Indicative Minimum Salary
Standard Skilled Worker (new rules)	£38,700 per year
Legacy CoS holders (before 4 April 2024)	£29,000 to £34,830 (varies by occupation)
Health and Care Worker roles	£25,000 to £38,000 (varies by specific role)
Immigration Salary List occupations	70% to 90% of the going rate

These amounts are indicative and subject to change. Always check the official gov.uk guidance for the figures that apply to your exact role before you file anything.

There’s another point people forget. You must hit both the annual figure and the hourly requirement. The National Living Wage for anyone 21 or over sits at £12.21 per hour in 2025. The Home Office calculates everything on a 37.5-hour week. Your payslip has to satisfy both tests, or the extension fails.

Now, if you’re coming from a Tier 2 General background, you might fall under the old going rates. 

Use this table as issued:

Original Tier 2 Occupation Code	Current Application Occupation Code	Full Going Rate	90% of Going Rate	80% of Going Rate	70% of Going Rate
2113 Physical scientists	2114 Physical scientists	£27,190 (£13.94 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
2119 Natural and social science professionals not classified elsewhere	2119 Natural and social science professionals not classified elsewhere	£27,190 (£13.94 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
2119 Natural and social science professionals not classified elsewhere	2162 Other researchers, unspecified discipline	£27,190 (£13.94 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
2311 Higher education teaching professionals	2162 Other researchers, unspecified discipline	£30,940 (£15.87 per hour)	£27,840 (£14.28 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
2311 Higher education teaching professionals	2311 Higher education teaching professionals	£30,940 (£15.87 per hour)	£27,840 (£14.28 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)
2311 Higher education teaching professionals	2322 Education managers	£30,940 (£15.87 per hour)	£27,840 (£14.28 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)	£25,000 (£12.82 per hour)

These apply to Tier 2 holders who extend under Skilled Worker rules.

Allowances can help in some cases. If your CoS landed on or after 24 November 2016 and you extend before 1 December 2026, guaranteed allowances can count. Think London weighting or fixed shift allowances. They must last for your full stay.

Part-time workers just calculate everything proportionally. If you work 30 hours instead of 37.5, your annual figure adjusts. Your hourly rate still needs to meet £12.21.

The key idea never changes. Your original CoS date locks in your salary rules. That date sits at the centre of every extension conversation.

3. WHEN TO APPLY & TIMING

Timing decides everything on an extension. You need to apply before your visa expires. No gap. The exact submission window can shift, so I always tell people to check the Skilled Worker extension page on gov.uk right before they plan anything. The rule stays simple, though. File before the expiry date.

If you miss it, the fallout hits fast. The Home Office will refuse the application. You fall into overstayer status, which triggers illegal presence. That can lead to bans that run anywhere from one year to ten. Future ILR checks get tougher. Some are refused outright because the overstay wiped out the continuous lawful residence. Employers deal with their own compliance problems when this happens. And you face removal from the UK.

The safest move is to apply early. You need time to get your employer to issue a fresh CoS. You need time to gather payslips and anything else the form asks for. I’ve seen people scramble in the final week, and it never ends well. A small buffer saves a lot of stress.

Here’s how the processing routes usually look:

Service Type	Timeframe	Additional Cost
Standard	Usually, 8 weeks from the application date	Included in the application fee
Priority	Faster decision (if available)	Approximately £500 additional (check current rate)
Super Priority	Fastest decision (if available)	Approximately £1,000 additional (check current rate)

Priority options come and go. The system tells you if you qualify when you submit. They speed up the answer, but they don’t fix weak evidence or old refusals. In those situations, the standard route feels safer.

Applicants in 2025 have hit some delays because more people are renewing, the BRP to eVisa shift keeps adding checks, and some cases need extra verification. This is why early submission matters.

One last rule. Do not travel. If you leave the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man before they decide, the system cancels your application. No exceptions. Keep your passport in the drawer until the decision lands.

4. APPLICATION COSTS

The figures below come from the 2024 to 2025 period. Treat them as a guide, not the final word. You pay everything at the point you file the application. Card only.

Here’s how the visa fees usually look:

Visa Category	Up to 3 Years	More than 3 Years
Standard Skilled Worker	£885	£1,751
Immigration Salary List occupation	£590	£1,160
Health and Care Worker	£304	£590

Then you have the Immigration Health Surcharge. That gives you NHS access during your stay. The rate sits at £1,035 per person per year in 2024 to 2025.

A few quick examples help people understand the scale:

• 3-year extension: £1,035 × 3 = £3,105 per person
• 5-year extension: £1,035 × 5 = £5,175 per person

Fingerprints and photos stay free. The Home Office keeps that part simple.

Let me show you a typical total using the 3-year Skilled Worker route:

• Visa fee: £885
• IHS: £3,105
• Total: £3,990

Again, these figures only guide you. Check the live fee pages right before you submit.

Your employer pays the Immigration Skills Charge when they assign your new CoS. The current guide rates sit at £364 per year for small sponsors and £1,000 per year for large sponsors. They charge it for a full six-month period. This cost sits with the employer. It never affects what you pay.

If your partner or kids extend with you, they pay the same visa fee and the same IHS you pay. No discounts. We cover the full dependent rules later.

5. STEP-BY-STEP APPLICATION PROCESS

Here’s how the extension works in real life. Six steps. Straight line. No shortcuts. I always tell people to start early because every step takes longer than you think.

Step 1: Get your new Certificate of Sponsorship

Your employer has to assign it through the Sponsor Management System. It’s digital. It carries the reference number you use later. It must sit under the same occupation code. It must confirm you’re staying in the same role with the same employer. And it must be marked for an extension. People forget that last part. Your old CoS never works again. Your employer also pays the Immigration Skills Charge again when they assign the new one. They complain about it every year.

Step 2: Gather your documents

Everyone needs the basics. Your current passport. Your BRP or eVisa access. The new CoS number. Three recent payslips. Your employment contract or a letter confirming your job title, duties, pay and start date. Proof of English if you didn’t show it before.

If you’ve got dependants, add marriage or civil partnership certificates, birth certificates, passports, BRPs, and some small relationship evidence like joint statements. Anything not in English needs a proper translation with the translator’s confirmation. Include both the original and the translation.

Step 3: Complete the online form

Head to gov.uk and search “Skilled Worker visa.” Choose the extension option. The form asks for your CoS number, visa details, NI number, employer details, salary, hours, immigration history, travel history for ten years, and any criminal convictions. Check everything twice. Mistakes stall cases more than anything else I see.

Step 4: Pay the fees

You pay when you submit. Card only. Section 4 gives the full breakdown.

Step 5: Prove your identity

After payment, the system tells you how to give your biometrics. Some people use the UK Immigration: ID Check app. Scan your BRP or use your eVisa details. Take a selfie. Sign in to your UKVI account. Done from home.

Others attend a UKVCAS centre. Book a slot. Bring what they ask for. Fingerprints. Photo. If you’re abroad, you go to a visa application centre instead.

Step 6: Wait for the decision

Standard time sits around eight weeks. You can keep working for your employer because your conditions carry on as long as you applied in time. You can track progress in your UKVI account. If the Home Office emails for evidence, respond fast.

You cannot travel outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. Leave once, and the system cancels your application. I’ve seen people lose months because they forgot this rule.

You’ll get the decision by email or letter. If approved, you’ll see your new status online. The UK pushes everything to eVisas now, so don’t worry if no card arrives. If refused, the letter explains why and whether you can ask for an administrative review.

6. WORKING WHILE WAITING FOR DECISION

Here’s the deal. If you submit your extension before your visa expires, your current conditions keep rolling. The law lets you stay in the UK and carry on exactly as you are.

What this means in practice feels pretty simple. You keep working for the same employer. You stay in the same role. Nothing shifts until the Home Office gives you an answer. I remind people of this all the time because they panic the moment their BRP expiry date gets close.

There are rules, though. You must file the extension before the visa runs out. If you miss that, these protections disappear. You also can’t jump to a new employer or reshape your job. Keep everything aligned with the details on your current visa.

If your employer wants peace of mind, they can check your status through the Employer Checking Service using your application reference number. It confirms your ongoing right to work while the decision is pending.

7. LONG-TERM PATHWAY TO SETTLEMENT

You can extend a Skilled Worker visa indefinitely. There’s no limit at all. As long as you keep meeting the rules each time, you can stay on this route for as long as you need. Some people take the full five years and move straight into settlement. Others extend a few more times before they feel ready.

When ILR Becomes an Option

After five years of continuous residence on a Skilled Worker visa, you may be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain. That’s the stage where your stay becomes permanent. ILR gives you the freedom to live in the UK without any time limits. You drop the need for sponsorship. You can move between employers, switch industries, or start a business without asking immigration for permission. And the long cycle of visa fees finally ends. Hold ILR for twelve months and you may qualify for British citizenship.

What You Usually Need for ILR

Most people need five years of lawful residence, a salary that meets the ILR threshold, the Life in the UK test, English at B1, limited absences, and good character. These checks sit separately from the extension process, so always look at the ILR guidance on gov.uk when you start planning.

When an Extension Makes More Sense

Sometimes ILR isn’t the right move yet. Maybe you haven’t reached the five-year mark. Maybe your pay dropped below the ILR level for a short period. Some people need more time to prepare for the Life in the UK test. Extended travel can also break your continuous residence. And some people just want extra time before making a long-term commitment.

Track Your Travel

If ILR sits in your plans, keep a record of every trip abroad. Too many absences can cause problems later, and it’s easier to track them now than fix them at the end.

8. DEPENDANTS

Dependants never extend automatically. Your partner or child keeps their current expiry date unless they file their own application. Each person needs a separate form, a separate fee, and a separate IHS payment. I’ve seen families assume everything rolls forward with the main applicant, and that mistake gets expensive fast.

Who Can Apply as a Dependant

Your spouse or civil partner can apply. Your unmarried partner can apply if the relationship meets the Home Office rules. Your kids under 18 qualify. Children over 18 only qualify in very limited situations, and only if they already held dependant status and still fit the criteria.

When Dependants Should Apply

They can apply with you or apply later, as long as it’s before their visa expires. They don’t need to wait for your decision. Some families stagger the timing to manage the cost.

What Each Dependant Must Provide

A valid passport. Their BRP, if they have one. Proof of the relationship, like a marriage certificate or birth certificate. Some evidence that you can support them financially. Then biometrics.

Costs for Dependants

They pay the same visa fee you pay. They pay the same IHS you pay. No discounts. With 2024 to 2025 figures, a three-year extension looks like this:

• Main applicant: £3,990
• One dependant: £3,990
• Family total: £7,980

Special Rules and Extra Situations

Care workers face restrictions from March 2024 on bringing new dependants, so check the specific guidance if you work in that sector.

If your child turns 18 during their stay, the dependent route may close for them. They might need a Student visa or their own Skilled Worker visa. Planning early makes that transition easier.

9. COMMON QUESTIONS

Can I work while my extension is being processed?

Yes. If you submit your extension before your visa expires, your current conditions keep going automatically. You stay in the UK. You work in the same job for the same employer. Nothing changes until the Home Office gives you a decision. If you want the full breakdown, check Section 7.

What happens if my extension is refused?

You’ll get a letter explaining why. The usual issues come from missing the salary requirement, sending the wrong documents, leaving gaps in the evidence, past convictions, or breaking previous visa rules. Sometimes people make simple mistakes on the form, and it still counts against them.

If you’re refused, you normally have about 28 days to leave the UK. You may be able to request an administrative review if you think the Home Office made an error. The deadline for that is tight. A refusal can make future UK applications tougher, so it’s important to act quickly.

Can I travel while my extension is being processed?

No. You cannot leave the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. If you do, the system cancels your application. No exceptions. Even emergencies don’t pause the rule. You also lose your fee if the application is withdrawn. Don’t book anything until the decision lands.

What if my current visa expires while I’m waiting?

As long as you applied before it expired, you’re protected. Your right to stay and work continues until the Home Office finishes your case. The expiry date printed on your BRP stops mattering once your application is in.

How many times can I extend my Skilled Worker visa?

There’s no limit. You can extend again and again if you meet all the requirements. Each time you’ll need a fresh CoS, and you’ll pay the usual fees and IHS.

What if I want to change jobs or employers?

You can’t extend in that situation. A job change or new employer means a different application entirely. You’ll need a new Skilled Worker visa and a new CoS under the correct occupation code. That process follows the current rules and salary levels. Section 2 explains the job and occupation code rules in detail.

When can I apply to extend my visa?

The main rule never changes. Apply before your current visa expires.

10. DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

Here’s a clear checklist you can use while preparing your extension. Keep it simple. Keep it organised. It saves a lot of stress later.

Essential documents (required for everyone)

• Current valid passport
• Current Biometric Residence Permit or eVisa access
• Certificate of sponsorship reference number
• Last 3 months’ payslips
• Current employment contract or employer letter
• Proof of English language ability at B1 level (if not previously provided)

For dependants (if applicable)

• Marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate
• Birth certificates showing both parents’ names
• Each dependent’s current passport
• Each dependent’s current Biometric Residence Permit
• Proof of relationship (joint bank statements, correspondence to the same address)

If applicable to your situation

• Professional translations of any non-English documents, with the original and the certified translation
• Qualification certificates, if your job requires them
• Previous refusal letters, if you’ve had any refusals in the past

Your employer must provide

• A new certificate of sponsorship issued through the Sponsor Management System
• Payment of the Immigration Skills Charge
• A supporting employment letter if the Home Office asks for one

Always check the current document list on gov.uk before you apply, as requirements can change without much notice.

11. PREPARATION TIPS

Start early. It sounds obvious, but people wait until the last month and then rush through everything. Give yourself time to gather documents and speak to your employer so they can assign your certificate of sponsorship when you need it.

Double-check every detail. Make sure your occupation code matches your current visa. Make sure your salary meets the threshold for your situation. Make sure the dates line up. A small mistake can slow your case or even lead to refusal.

Keep your records tidy. Save copies of everything you submit. Hold on to your confirmation email, your receipts, and any messages from the Home Office. You might need them later for checks or future applications.

Don’t book any travel. Leaving the UK while your application is pending cancels the whole thing. It catches people all the time.

If the Home Office asks for extra documents, respond fast. Quick replies keep things moving.

12. CONCLUSION

Here’s the quick rundown. Apply before your visa expires. Get a fresh certificate of sponsorship every time you extend. Stay inside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while the Home Office works on your case. You can keep working for your current employer through the whole process. There’s no cap on extensions, so you can renew as long as you meet the rules. After five years of continuous residence, you may be able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Immigration rules and fees shift often, so always check gov.uk right before you submit anything.

If you prepare early, meet the requirements, and file before your visa ends, the process stays straightforward. In my experience, most people get approved when their documents are complete and their details line up cleanly.